Heading Indicator and TAS adjust knobs LVAR settings

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Rdc640
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Heading Indicator and TAS adjust knobs LVAR settings

Post by Rdc640 »

Hi all,

I've basically finished my "cockpit" (Its nothing like a cockpit - its two plastic boxes which live in a drawer and I can plug them in if I want to use them. To me it doesn't need to look like a plane - that's for the sky - i just need to practice things like nav and timings without using the mouse all the time.)

MY final two queries, however are as follows and are basically the same thing.

I want to use rotary encoders to adjust the TAS and Heading Indicator knobs. (I have another 6 all working for VOR, alt etc etc they are fine. )

These are the Lvars which govern them. (taken from 172 variable list)

(L:AirspeedTAS,number) - IAS/TAS conversion chart (range: 0 – 110)
(L:HiAdjust,number) - heading indicator knob

However I don't know how to adjust them!
Could someone tell me the settings I need for them inside the [macros] please?

Thanks all for your help (particularly Nick M)

Regards,
Rich

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Nick - A2A
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Re: Heading Indicator and TAS adjust knobs LVAR settings

Post by Nick - A2A »

Hi Rich,

Good to hear about the progress with your cockpit project. :)

Though I don't have any firsthand experience with rotary encoders, I understand they basically send two different button press events to FSUIPC: one for a clockwise twist and the other for anticlockwise.

Therefore, for L:Vars, I think you'd generally need to use the INC and DEC actions in the *.mcro file and the "buttons + switches" page in FSUIPC. For the "L:AirspeedTAS" variable it looks like you'd need a parameter value of 110 for INC, and 0 for DEC. I believe when assigning these in FSUIPC (presumably it's just a case of giving the encoder a twist when on the "buttons + switches" page) you should make sure "control to repeat while held" is not ticked.

For the heading indicator adjustment, I'd have though this was accessible via native FSUIPC commands without having to use an L:Var, but I'll take a look later if time permits. It's definitely the heading indicator knob, not the heading bug knob you want to control here is it?

Cheers,
Nick

Rdc640
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Joined: 09 Sep 2017, 17:27

Re: Heading Indicator and TAS adjust knobs LVAR settings

Post by Rdc640 »

Yeah, yeah I'm fine with the hardware and making that trigger them.

As I say I have a really scrappy way of working it - i just map the commands to a key press, and then use mobiflight to trigger that keypress with the hardware - I'm fine with that bit.
It's just the commands that go in the macro is where I get stuck.

Okay, thanks, so I need to use INC and DEC with parameter values of 110 and 0 respectively, will give that a try.

And its definitely the Heading Indicator; I've got the heading bug and all the others working. Just these last two are frustrating me.

If you're interested Nick M, this is what I designed, programmed and built in the past week. As I say, it isn't supposed to look like a real plane- Just a way of interfacing with the computer that can go in a drawer (Radio stack build to follow)

https://1drv.ms/i/s!Ao7SzxEaNcoc7CnWzgn3Z4SjjJRp
and another

https://1drv.ms/i/s!Ao7SzxEaNcoc7CiFblxlxbC4DS52

Thanks for your help, will have a try with INC and DEC and 110

Regards
Rich
Last edited by Rdc640 on 18 Sep 2017, 09:11, edited 3 times in total.

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Nick - A2A
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Re: Heading Indicator and TAS adjust knobs LVAR settings

Post by Nick - A2A »

Okay, cheers Rich - let us know how you get on with programming the rotary encoders. For the heading indicator compass card knob in particular, there's potentially at least one method which will work.

The switch and TPM boxes look really interesting by the way. I've been put off buying 'proper' flight sim hardware largely because of lack of space. In other words, I don't have my own 'man cave' I can dedicate to stuff like that. :P

Any more info/diagrams/photos of the build would be welcome! :wink:

Thanks,
Nick

Rdc640
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Re: Heading Indicator and TAS adjust knobs LVAR settings

Post by Rdc640 »

Going slightly off topic, but -

I've just made a shopping list of what I bought and a quick wiring diagram.

https://1drv.ms/x/s!Ao7SzxEaNcoc7CyLWFxpkDTCv5GE

I've accidentally missed the battery and alt switch. But Its just as all other switches. one wire to pin, other to gnd.
(the black squares are pins on the arduino.)

I'm a mechanical engineer, not an electrical engineer... hence the access to solidworks and the quality of the 3d-model vs the wiring diagram!

https://6gqkwq-ch3301.files.1drv.com/y4 ... png?psid=1

And how it actually looks IRL...
https://6gqjwq-ch3301.files.1drv.com/y4 ... peg?psid=1
It's actually been tidied up (SLIGHTLY!!) and the extra connectors added - oh, and flaps and LEDs...
If there's anything I can help with, please let me know.

Throttle only exists as a prototype stage, I'm waiting for the slide potentiometers, so currently use an old phone box and twisty potentiometers!

Rich

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Nick - A2A
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Re: Heading Indicator and TAS adjust knobs LVAR settings

Post by Nick - A2A »

Thanks for that Rich. I'm no kind of engineer I'm afraid, but maybe a little project like this is what I need to practice my soldering skills. I certainly like the idea of using a rotary encoder for trim rather than a rotary pot. Total cost looks good to me too! :)

Nick

Rdc640
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Re: Heading Indicator and TAS adjust knobs LVAR settings

Post by Rdc640 »

The encoders works great. They are also ideal for the radio stack. They have a push button also so can twist for kHz and push and twist for mhz. I interface all this with mobiflight software. (which does not support potentiometer)

However the throttles are different, the arduino Pro micro had a newer chip and can see itself as a game control. So I just had to write some code to map the pot input to an output which o them assigned in fsuipc.

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Nick - A2A
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Re: Heading Indicator and TAS adjust knobs LVAR settings

Post by Nick - A2A »

Rdc640 wrote:The encoders works great. They are also ideal for the radio stack. They have a push button also so can twist for kHz and push and twist for mhz.
Sound like they'd be great for a little control panel for the Garmin GNS 430/530 too. Frankly it's a pain trying to operate these with a mouse! :roll:

Did you have any luck programming the L:Vars you mentioned to the rotary encoders?

Cheers,
Nick

Rdc640
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Joined: 09 Sep 2017, 17:27

Re: Heading Indicator and TAS adjust knobs LVAR settings

Post by Rdc640 »

Hi Nick, sorry for the delayed response!

Yep! I got everything working exactly how i wanted it... hence the no visit since!!!
Thought I'd drop in to see who had replied to my post.

if they are controlled by an lvar they would deffo be able to be done in the same way.

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